Ralph Nelson, Early TV Director; Made 'Requiem for Heavyweight'

By RONALD SULLIVAN

Published: December 25, 1987

Ralph Nelson, who directed some of television's most memorable dramas in the 1950's, including ''Requiem for a Heavyweight,'' and the Academy Award-winning film ''Lilies of the Field,'' died of cancer Monday in Santa Monica, Calif. He was 71 years old.

Mr. Nelson was widely credited with bringing consistently strong and innovative direction to live dramatic programming in the early years of television. This was particularly true of ''Requiem,'' Rod Serling's poetic study of the gritty world of professional boxing, for which Mr. Nelson, Mr. Serling and Jack Palance all won Emmies. The play was done in 1956 on CBS's ''Playhouse 90.''

All told, Mr. Nelson directed more than 1,000 television plays and series, including ''Mama,'' also known as ''I Remember Mama,'' which starred Peggy Wood. His production and direction included such dramatic series as ''General Electric Theater,'' ''Climax,'' ''Du Pont Show of the Month,'' ''Dick Powell Theater'' and ''Desilu Playhouse.''

Mr. Nelson also directed television musicals, including such critically acclaimed shows as Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'' in 1957. He was also cited for his staging of the Old Vic Company's ''Hamlet'' on television in 1959. A Pioneer With Videotape

Mr. Nelson was one of the first television producers to use videotape as a means of showing actors their strengths and weaknesses and to give them a better understanding of the entire production.

The movie version of ''Lilies of the Field'' in 1963 won an Academy Award for Sidney Poitier, whom Mr. Nelson insisted be given the part over more widely known stars. Mr. Nelson was nominated for best director for this film and four other times as either producer or director.

Mr. Nelson's other films included ''Father Goose,'' ''Once a Thief,'' ''Duel at Diablo,'' ''Flight of the Doves,'' ''Wrath of God,'' ''Soldier in the Rain,'' ''Embryo,'' ''Fate is the Hunter,'' ''Soldier Blue,'' ''Tick Tick Tick,'' ''A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich,'' ''Wilby Conspiracy'' and ''You Can't Go Home Again.''

His production and direction of ''Charly'' helped win an Oscar for Cliff Robertson in 1968.

Mr. Nelson's last televison direction was ''Christmas, Lilies of the Field'' in 1979.

Mr. Nelson was born in Long Island City in 1916. He overcame early difficulties - he was a troubled juvenile with a criminal record - and went on to work in the theater until World War II, when he became a fighter pilot in the Army Air Force.

As an author, his plays ''The Wind is Ninety,'' which was produced on Broadway in 1945, and ''Angels Weep'' won National Theater Conference awards.

Mr. Nelson also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Columbia University.

He is survived by four chldren, Theodor, of San Antonio; Ralph, of Santa Monica; Peter, of Richmond, Calif., and Meredith, of Bishop, Calif., and a sister, Mildred Becker, of Long Boat Key, Fla.